Cultural Dissolution? (America)

[Druidus]

Is the world undergoing a massive cultural dissolution? Are the cultures being replaced by American culture?

Canada is pretty much American culture. The Inuit here no longer live by their culture. The Inuit culture doesn't exist anymore. The difference is only genetic now.

Many other cultures worldwide are being replaced. Is there a way to stop this?

[Druidus]

To illustrate my point better, check out this music video (partly in German, but enough English for non-Germans to understand):

www.universalmotown.com/mediaplayers/rammstein/

Click on "Click Here to Relaunch Player", then click "Videos", then click "Amerika".

[Mr Spinkles]

Originally Posted by Druidus

Many other cultures worldwide are being replaced. Is there a way to stop this?

Do people really want to stop it? If so, why are American movies, music, food, companies, etc. spreading?

[Druidus]

Because it's an amorphous culture. Do you really think they'd have the same products, TV shows, and music if they had industrialized first? Instead they relied upon American products, TV and music, causing their own cultures to be inseminated with it. If they developed enough to produce this on their own, it would be vastly different.

[skills101]

Crap, pressed the wrong button. One vote off "no" and one vote on "why stop it."

[Mr Spinkles]

Druidus-- Australia, Germany, Canada, etc. haven't industrialized?

[Druidus]

I don't mean those nations. I wouldn't consider them "Americanized" either. The cultures are distinctly different. I mean the underdeveloped nations; the 3rd worlds.

Isn't culture the only thing distinguising us? Our uniqueness? Our diversity?

[kreeden]

Canada and Australia are not industrialized to the point the US is . They don't have the population neither , which I think is the main cause for the feeling that Americanization is overrunning Canada . That and so-called " Free Trade ", however , the pop issue comes into Free Trade also .

All of that wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't for the American governments histroy of showing no respect for another country's sovereignty .

[Druidus]

Canada and Australia are not industrialized to the point the US is .

Where do you live? We're as industrial here as anywhere (not my town, it's a very small town, but generally). A common misconception people have about us is that we are rustic little towns with only farms, and not even a radio to go between us. Truth be told, we have everything the US has, including the bad. Hell, we invented many things before the US.

[Feathers in Hair]

Unfortunately, while people like myself want to preserve Canadian, Inuit, Austrailian cultures and don't think they should be 'Americanized' either, it seems like we invariably get grouped with those Americans that don't care either way, or (worse) think that's the way things 'should' be.

As for if such things can be stopped, I know that if there is enough funding and interest in doing so, it will be. And some things are left to chance or fortune. For example, my maternal grandmother attended a Girl Scouts-esque group growing up, where they taught the young women such things as traditional Native American beading. So here my grandma is, twenty years later, doing teaching in a very rural area where the majority of the population was Native American. Due to many various factors, this branch of the tribe had lost most of its connection with the roots of its heritage. Somehow my grandma became aware of this, so she set up a workshop, and here are these dozen or so young ladies being taught the craft that they would have normally learned from their mothers (had the knowledge not been lost over time) by a tiny little 'white girl.'

Granted, it's not the same as if the knowledge hadn't been lost in the first place, but I think it's interesting how the world works sometimes.